


blue jean memories and bottle cap dreams

by BelovedCreation



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Captain Swan AU Week, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-14
Updated: 2014-07-14
Packaged: 2018-02-08 19:38:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1953612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BelovedCreation/pseuds/BelovedCreation
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Captain Swan AU: Killian Jones, a rodeo cowboy, meets Emma Shepherd, daughter of country legends, at a small-town fair.</p>
            </blockquote>





	blue jean memories and bottle cap dreams

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by my weekend at the county fair in "the-middle-of-nowhere, Iowa"

Killian was five years old when he had seen them perform. His father had brought him and Liam to see the ultimate act in country music on their first visit to England. It was one of his first memories: sitting on his father’s shoulders, straining his eyes to catch a glimpse of America’s country music sweethearts: David Shepherd, former rodeo king on guitar, and Mary Margaret Shepherd, former state fair queen on fiddle. The pair was surrounded by a full bluegrass band, but all Killian could look at was the young couple, completely in love and so in sync it was like their two hearts beat as one. He brought home a poster of the Shepherds and it became the centerpiece to a bedroom completely devoted to all things Americana.

 

Twenty-eight years later, when he saw an advertisement for _The Shepherd Family Trio_ playing at a fair in the middle-of-nowhere, Iowa, he made the impulsive decision to leave his usual Southwest circuit and take a month in the Midwest to hopefully catch his former idols in action. Shortly after their European tour, Mary Margaret had announced her pregnancy and, as was the norm for many performers at that time, the pair retired from the music industry and eventually faded from public memory. According to the advert, _The Shepherd Family Trio_ had been playing across the Midwest for several years now.

 

When Killian eased onto a wooden bench near the small stage, he could immediately see that David and Mary Margaret still had that chemistry. Laugh lines framed her eyes and her once-raven locks were now cut short and lined in grey. David was now sporting a salt-and-pepper beard and he leaned heavily on one leg as though his old rodeo injury continued to plague him. But their voices rang out strong and smooth over the small crowd, and Killian couldn’t help himself from humming along to the well-known song.

 

In fact, it was a tribute to how talented Mr. and Mrs. Shepherd were that he didn’t pay any attention to their daughter until the second number. She led into the song with only her voice, and Killian felt a shiver go down his spine at the purity and power of her tone. He finally turned his gaze to her and he felt all the breath leave his body. She was the most gorgeous thing he had ever seen: an angel with wavy blonde locks and a lithe body wrapped in a soft lace dress. Her graceful fingers strummed the mandolin with practiced ease as she smiled and sang and looked out at the crowd. When her eyes met his, green like the fields surrounding the fair, Killian’s stomach flipped.

 

Her gaze latched onto his and Killian’s stomach performed a complicated gymnastics routine that would surely win a gold metal. He felt a smile spread across his face as hers grew. Unable to help himself, and knowing that this was not the right move to make, Killian offered her a wink. Predictably, she rolled her eyes and looked down at her instrument, never to make eye contact with him again.

 

\-------

 

Another year, another fair, another performance, another cowboy hitting on her. This was just another day in the life of Emma Shepherd.

Nevermind that she had wanted to be a solo act for years now. Nevermind that she had mastered a dozen instruments by the time she was twenty-five and was fully prepared for the harsh realities of the music industry. King and Queen of Goody-Two-Shoes had decided that Emma needed a few years of experience traveling with them before they would support her dreams to make it on her own. So here she was, third summer in a row, traveling through the Midwest working every fair, tractor pull, and rodeo.

 

At least she had convinced her parents to forgo the coordinating outfits they preferred back in the eighties.

 

When their show was over, the Shepherd family took their bows and made their way to the bottles of cold water that waited for them behind the stage. Some locals would no doubt be cornering her parents for some autographs, but Emma was itching for a funnel cake or a corn dog. Maybe she would be able to slip away before any perverts made their way-

 

“Excuse me, Mr. and Mrs. Shepherd? I wanted to thank you for that fantastic performance.”

 

The voice was what made Emma stopped; a husky English accent was a rarity in the small-town fair circuit. She turned to see who had approached her parents. It was Mr. Sleazy Cowboy, who had winked at her from the audience. Sure, he was sex on a stick, with tight jeans, dark flannel shirt, black cowboy hat, and piercing blue eyes. That was what had caught Emma’s attention during the performance. But as soon as he had winked, she had him all figured out. He was one of those typical cowboy perverts who were just trying to sleep with the daughter of former celebrities.

 

“Why thank you,” Mary Margaret responded enthusiastically, obviously charmed. “So glad that you enjoyed it.” She shook his hand excitedly.

 

The man shook her father’s hand next. “I saw you two once, many years ago, when you came to England. I was a small boy, but you two are just as wonderful now as you were then.” His gaze turned to Emma, and he offered her his hand. She begrudgingly obliged, but instead of shaking it, he brought her hand up to his mouth and brushed his lips softly against his knuckles. “In fact, I would say you are even better now, what with the talents of your lovely daughter.” Emma couldn’t stop the way her eyes fluttered and her heart stopped. This guy had some serious charm.

 

David cleared his throat, breaking the spell. The man dropped her hand abruptly and turned to face her father as though he had been caught in the middle of something inappropriate.

 

“England, huh?” David asked suspiciously. “What brings you out to this corner of the world?”

 

The man grinned easily. “Rodeos, sir. I have been traveling the Southwest circuit, but I thought I would come this way for a change of pace. I was hoping for some new challenges and different faces.”

 

“Will you be in tonight’s rodeo?” Mary Margaret asked, giving the man a similar look of distrust.

 

“Yes ma’am,” he replied. “And I would be honored if you would take the time to come see me, perhaps cheer me on.”

 

“We’ll see what we can do,” Emma cut in cooly.

 

The man only smiled devilishly and brought his hand up to the rim of his hat in a goodbye gesture. “I would be much obliged. When you hear the name ‘Killian Jones,’ cheer extra loud.” A quick nod and he was gone, disappearing into the slow-moving crowd.

 

“Killian Jones,” her father murmured, scratching his new beard. “I think I’ve heard of him. Dominated across Texas and Oklahoma.” He shrugged. “Could be interesting. Y’all want to go?”

 

\-------

 

He blamed it on the beer. And on the performance he had seen that afternoon. But mostly the beer.

 

That was how he ended up sitting outside of his RV at 2 in the morning strumming an old Shepherds song on his beatup guitar. Killian took some guitar lessons in elementary school, but after his mother’s death luxuries like that were less important. Everything else was self-taught and self-motivated. The old guitar was now an extension of him, a part of his history. She was almost as important as his horse.

 

He struggled to hit one of the high notes when he was interrupted by an unexpected and sarcastic voice.

 

“You really are a fanboy, aren’t you?”

 

Standing before him was Emma Shepherd, raising an unbelieving eyebrow and looking far too awake and sober than any twenty-something had a right to look past 1:00am. Killian felt his face flush in embarrassment.

 

“I suppose I am, love.”

 

She stuck her hands in her well-worn blue jeans and smirked. “Tell me the truth. Do you have all of their singles memorized?”

 

Killian didn’t see the point in lying. He reached up a hand to scratch his ear. “If they released it, I know it.” Emma chuckled. “What about you, Miss Shepherd? What are you doing wandering around this late?”

 

The blonde beauty crinkled her nose. “Checking out the local nightlife. I got bored. The only bar in town just closed but I’m not ready for sleep yet.”

 

He licked his lips and looked up and down her delightful form. “Well, if you are interested-” Emma huffed and started to walk away. “No! Wait! Wait!” Killian leapt up and chased after her, tugging on her arm to keep her from running away. “I was only joking, love. Good lord, can’t you handle a joke?”

 

Emma frowned, then peered around him to see the unopened Budweiser bottles sitting by his RV door. “Looking for a drinking buddy?” She smiled, and he couldn’t help mirroring it.

 

An hour and four opened beers later, Killian found himself singing Shepherd duets with Emma Shepherd herself.

 

A bloody dream come true.

 

 


End file.
